Officials inaugurated a new $6.9 million radar facility at Seymour Johnson AFB, S.C, for air traffic controllers to monitor and control flights in 5,000-square miles of airspace, base officials confirmed. The 12,000-square foot Radar Approach Control facility is the first part of a three-stage construction project to house the RAPCON, airfield operations, and transient alert in a new complex, according to a Jan. 13 release. The base has undertaken several major infrastructure projects including a major runway renovation completed last September, and construction of a new control tower slated to begin next year, base spokesman SSgt. Charles Broadway told the Daily Report. Seymour Johnson’s RAPCON currently handles more than 80,000 flights a year, according to the release, Jan. 14.
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.